Korean · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Korean Rice Cake Soup
떡국 (Tteokguk)
Chewy sliced rice cakes simmered in a clear, savoury beef broth with ribbons of egg and spring onion. It is a comforting bowl traditionally eaten on Korean New Year, made here with lean beef and only a little oil.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 65% · Fat 14% · Protein 21%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 4 cups500 gSliced Korean rice cakes (tteokguk tteok)
- 7 oz200 gLean beef top round
- 8 1/2 cups2,000 gWater
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
- 2 tbsp36 gKorean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1 tsp5 gToasted sesame oil
- 2 large100 gEggs
- 2 stalks30 gSpring onions, sliced on the diagonal
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspGround black pepper
- 2 sheets5 gRoasted seaweed sheets (gim), crumbled (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the rice cakes and soak them in a bowl of cold tap water (not from the recipe water) for 20 minutes if they are firm or frozen.
- 2
Slice the beef across the grain into thin bite-sized strips.
- 3
Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 4
Add the beef and garlic and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the beef is no longer pink.
- 5
Pour in the water and bring to a boil.
- 6
Lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, skimming off any foam, until the beef is tender.
- 7
Season the broth with the soup soy sauce and salt, then taste and adjust.
- 8
Drain the rice cakes and add them to the simmering broth.
- 9
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the rice cakes are soft and float to the surface.
- 10
Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- 11
Slowly drizzle the eggs into the soup in a thin stream, wait 30 seconds, then stir gently and cook 1 more minute until fully set.
- 12
Stir in the spring onions and turn off the heat.
- 13
Ladle into bowls and top with black pepper and crumbled seaweed, if using.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, use a tamari labelled gluten-free instead of the soup soy sauce and choose rice cakes labelled gluten-free that contain only rice.
- Swap the beef for thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and the water for vegetable stock to make a meat-free version that still has plenty of savoury flavour.
- If you can't find Korean soup soy sauce, use regular light soy sauce. It is less salty and a little darker, so add it gradually and make up any missing saltiness with salt to taste.
- Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach with the spring onions for extra vegetables in every bowl.
Storage
This soup is best eaten fresh, because the rice cakes soak up broth and turn soft and mushy as they sit. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. Don't freeze the finished soup, as the rice cakes and egg won't thaw well.
Make ahead
Make the beef broth up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, bring it back to a boil and add the rice cakes and egg just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSoySesameEggs
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (722 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 416 kcal | 58 kcal |
| Protein | 22.3 g | 3.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67.3 g | 9.3 g |
| of which sugars | 0.3 g | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 6.5 g | 0.9 g |
| of which saturated | 1.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 895 mg | 124 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
